It is cold and gray outside but we got a good snowstorm on Monday – big, fluffy, gorgeous flakes! Everything is peaceful and beautiful with the white blanket so I will enjoy it while it lasts until it is replaced with the gray, old, dirty snow. This is a chatty post – I FINALLY finished the re-take on the gallery wall and will share that soon but today I wanted to just share a few things.

* I have been trying to keep my desk area clear – it just helps my mind a little bit more focused (maybe?) Top tricks: go through mail on the way back to the house from the mailbox and go right past the garage garbage and throw most of it away. If it needs to be dealt with right away, I try to do it right then (like a birthday party on Saturday – make sure I have a gift or order one on Amazon, put it on Google calendar). If I don’t have time or it isn’t urgent, I just shove it place it in a canvas bag below the desk (this was just one my husband brought home from a conference) and leave it to deal with it on Tuesday morning because that is my paper day. That is the day when I pay any paper bills, cut out coupons I want to keep and put them in the car coupon organizer (mostly for haircuts, restaurants, oil changes), categorize receipts in our budget software (my husband is a financial planner so this has always been a part of our marriage), make appointments, etc.

The bag is a game changer though because it can stay under the desk -- or anywhere you want it – and it is the place for the randomness to go until you can deal with it and the counter stays clean. Or, if it isn’t clean, you can quickly whisk everything into the bag. Kids papers (papers they need to keep like for monthly projects or book reports) go in the wood organizer but they know to look in the bag if something is mysteriously missing.

* We need to talk about this cereal. We had a bunch of family visiting over Christmas break and thought this would be fun to try. No one liked it –like NO ONE. It just sat. How would they ever think this would be a good idea? Have you tried it?

* the car my daughter drives (2001 Camry named Arnie) would not start. We thought it was the battery and changed it out. It didn’t start right away but started the next day so we didn’t take it in. Then it wouldn’t start again and we thought it was because of the cold. I was getting it ready for AAA to come tow it to the mechanic and was trying to get it to shift to neutral and I tried again and it started so we drove it straight to the mechanic. They called back and said that we could pay $300 for a new sensor or we could just jiggle the gear shift a little if it wouldn’t start. We chose to jiggle and it has worked. I love honest mechanics.

* Look at my friend Jamie’s cute, organized bins! Who knew they could be cute and organized?? She used white duck tape. I kind of want to throw all of my ugly yellow & black construction bins out! She can make anything look good. ♥

* AND if you are in the mood for a gripping story – the COLD podcast has me hooked. It’s the story of Susan Powell – she disappeared in 2009 and her body was never found. Her husband was prime suspect but never arrested and it just gets crazier from there. It’s an investigative report with a fascinating, creepy look into the mind of narcissistic sociopath. Everyone needs a good listen while scrubbing the bathroom, especially in January!

Some randomness for you on a cold January morning. Thanks for sticking with me!